There is no cursing or dirty talk, and the sex scenes are of the fade to black variety. I’ve read some pretty darned spicy Christina Lauren books, but The Unhoneymooners is very PG. The book paints a vivid picture of Maui, and it’s almost as if the little slice of paradise is another character in their love story. Their transition from foe to friend is both enjoyable and believable. It’s refreshing how forthcoming they are, and it lends maturity to their relationship. The snarky banter between Ethan and Olive is absolutely hilarious, but it’s their honesty that makes this couple so endearing.

She’s a strong heroine, and her willingness to show vulnerability made me love her all the more. It was fun trying to guess Ethan’s thoughts, and I loved being stuck inside Olive’s self-deprecating, quirky, and rather pessimist mind. The entire story is written from unlucky Olive’s perspective, and I had forgotten just how much I enjoy a single point narrative. It boasts wickedly funny comedy and winsome characters set against a gorgeous Hawaiian backdrop.

Some enemies to lovers stories lean so heavily on the “hate” aspect that they leave a bitter taste in my mouth, but this is a total joy. Fortunately, with The Unhoneymooners they have proven once again that I am in safe hands. I have become such a fan of Christina Lauren’s work that I eagerly add each new book to my to-be-read list without even reading the synopsis. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything.

Published by Gallery Books on May 14, 2019

The unhoneymooners